


Debts Must Be Paid

by melodiousWhims



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Countries Using Human Names, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Romance, Kidnapping, M/M, On the Run, Organized Crime, Platonic Relationships, Rescue Mission, Sharing a Bed, hand holding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-07-15 00:03:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7196978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodiousWhims/pseuds/melodiousWhims
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gilbert Beilschmidt has debts to pay and for the last four months he has managed to avoid the Russian he had robbed. He’s been smart, careful and (for the first time) silent. So how could he have let this quiet little Canadian nobody screw everything up so easily?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You're in America?

He had to risk it. 

At least that’s what he kept telling himself as the plane hit another bout of turbulence and caused him to grip his armrests and close his eyes. 

Up until now, Gilbert had managed to go his twenty six years without flying. He was skilled at hitching rides and making what could be a day’s flight into a week’s car drive. 

But of course, he had to risk it. 

It was no lie either, the German knew that he either could stay in Europe and be murdered or he could at least try to get to New York City, contact Ludwig and find a safe haven with his cousin. 

As the plane rocked and set his stomach turning, Gilbert heard the best news of his flight. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now on our final approach into Laguardia. We’d like to thank you flying with us today,” the voice of the pilot said. 

The albino sighed in relief. “Thank God,” he muttered, pleased to know that the past eight hours hadn’t been in vain.

He gave a quick glance around the plane and couldn’t help but smile. No crazed Russian or his army of followers to kill him. Not today. Which is considerably impressive, considering the past four months have been dedicated to him hiding and running from Ivan Braginski and his criminal organization who he casually stole about $750,000 from. Oops.

At the time of his impressive thievery the albino couldn’t believe the luck he had finally come into. He was a petty criminal at best and despite this he failed to maintain a decent amount of money for survival. So to combat this, Gilbert decided hitch hiking and doing a number of tasks along his journey was the most effect way to live. However, one thing led to another and he was in Moscow with only the most powerful criminal overlord in the world. So what does a man who’s only mode of living is through hitch hiking decide is his best option? Rob the fucker and get the hell out of dodge. 

And by God it seemed to work...at first. He managed to buy a ticket for a train ride from Russia to Poland. It was a lovely ride to begin with, good food and there was this one woman on the train that he found _quite appealing_. Needless to say he totally got laid. All seemed awesome until he hit the border. From then on something was amiss and eventually he had to get off in Belarus. Why? Some gun wielding bastards had found their way onto the train and only seemed to have one target. Gilbert Beilschmidt. 

Then in Belarus he tried to bus his way to Warsaw. Barely made it a quarter of the way there before he had gotten stabbed, this time by a crazed looking woman he realized later was Braginski’s youngest and most deadly sister. From that point forward, after managing a miracle escape out of the country of Belarus, the albino had been careful. Which is a feat in itself. 

He made it about to Berlin before he had another run in with Braginski’s crew. It was at this point our hero figured he was going to die. He had gotten face to face with Braginski. He had _seen_ what Braginski planned to do to him. That fucking smile haunted him and what he was capable of doing made the man want to vomit only thinking about it. He was just about to be brutally slaughtered when some of the most beautiful German police officers came in guns blazing. Ivan left him with a particularly brutal scar in his shoulder, but he once again escaped with his life. He also managed to outrun the cops when they realized he was on a wanted list for minor thefts. 

By that point he felt he had nowhere to go. He wasn’t safe in his home country of Germany. The place he had grown up in and loved was quite nearly the place of his death. He had no one to turn to or trust except his little cousin in America. How could he get to America without getting killed? One wrong move too far from the police or divine intervention and Braginski would have his money and revenge. 

So, he did what any man with a long list of ex-lovers could do. Hit one of them up and beg for a safe passage to some random place like Brussels, and from there New York City. He knew exactly who to hit up too, much to the chagrin of the musical prodigy. 

Roderich Edelstein was not much of a fan of the albino, even when they were sexually involved. He was too loud, narcissistic and stupid for his tastes, and only his decent-at-best skills in the bedroom could make up for it, _barely_. Their breakup had also left an even more bitter thought when it came to the German. However, as he heard his past lover pleading with him to help, Roderich had a lapse in judgement and agreed to contact a friend who was in Berlin who could certainly help. 

Turned out he called a Hungarian immigrant police officer named Elizabeta, which set Gilbert into a panic before the woman assured him that she wasn’t going to arrest him. She owed Roderich and therefore Gilbert lived another day as a free man. Elizabeta also helped him become more inconspicuous as a man on the run. Sweatshirts with big hoodies became his new iconic choice of clothing. His briefcase full of money was now changed into a backpack. Burner phones were his best friends.Complicated and erratic ways to get from one place to another was his brand new skill. Elizabeta was the only reason at all he made it onto a commercial flight without Braginski’s people on his tail. She was also very not interested in him, so it kept him relatively focused on getting to Point A and Point B with no issue.

From Berlin to Brussels and now to New York, Gilbert had successfully evaded the bounty that he had on his head. He couldn’t help but almost revel in how pissed the Russian criminal must be at that moment. 

He grinned at the thought and leaned back into the chair, risking a glance out the window to see the plane descending. He felt jittery. A brand new nation and he still had his neck and upwards of $500,000. Not bad for a petty criminal. 

The plane landed and Gilbert, with hoodie up and head down, made it to the pay phones after getting through customs pretty easy. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a scrap of paper with Ludwig’s number scrawled out. He dialed and waited. 

The ringing of the line felt like forever and after the fourth, Gilbert was half ready to give up when a thickly accented voice answered the phone. 

“ _Hallo_?” a German voice asked.

“ _Hallo_ , Lutz!” Gilbert responded, the dark feeling in his stomach disappearing at the sound of his cousin’s voice. 

“Gilbert?”

“ _Ja_! It’s me, you’re amazingly awesome cousin who you’re going to pick up from...eh, Laguardia? I think that’s right. I’m at the airport, cus!”

“Laguardia, New York? You’re in America?” Ludwig asked, confusion clear.

“I sure as hell hope so.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“I’ve been busy. Now come pick me up.”

“I’ve got a job I can’t just pick you up right this very second.”

Gilbert groaned. “C’mooooon, I was on an eight hour flight! We haven’t seen each other since you left Berlin, don’t you wanna see your amazing older cousin?”

He could hear Ludwig huff and shuffling in the background. He wasn’t quite sure what his cousin did nowadays, but by the sound of it he had just won a ride to the city. 

“I’ll see you in 30 minutes, if you aren’t outside when I get there you are sleeping at the airport,” Ludwig said and with that hung up.

Gilbert chuckled and lifted his head enough to do a quick survey of the airport. Nothing threatening and tons of food. Perfect. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ludwig stared at his cousin through the car window, past his employer who greeted the albino with a friendly ‘Ciao’. 

“Cat got your tongue, cus?” Gilbert asked, tossing his singular bag into the backseat and crawling in. 

“You travelled to America with a backpack? Where’s the rest of your luggage, _dummkopf_?” 

“Don’t have any. Figured I could get what I need while I was here. I’m turning over a new leaf, cus! I’m finished with my criminal ways and making a new start here in America! Plus I need a place to stay.”

Ludwig looked over his shoulder at his cousin and stared at him hard. “Who did you piss off and how important are they?”

Gilbert slouched and tugged off his hoodie. “Don’t worry about it,” he muttered. 

Ludwig found himself staring at him, concern clear on his face. He was about to say something else when his friend and boss tapped him patted his leg and shook his head. “Mm. Fine. But don’t think this is over...brother.”

Gilbert perked up at the nickname. “Aw, you still see lil’ ol’ me as your bro?” he asked, leaning forward in between the seats. 

Ludwig rolled his eyes and put the car into drive, taking Gilbert towards his new life in New York City. 

“Anyways, who’s the Italian?” the albino finally asked as they entered onto the expressway. 

“This is Feliciano Vargas, he’s my boss,” Ludwig introduced. 

Gilbert studied the man and frowned. “I know that name. Why do I know that name?”

“My grandfather is Roma Vargas,” he said, smiling as Gilbert’s mouth dropped open.

“Holy shit, good old Lutzy is working for a world class criminal organization?”

The blonde sighed. “... _Ja_ , I am.”

“How the hell did _that_ happen? Now I’m not the only criminal in the family?”

“I’m not a criminal,” Ludwig snapped. “I’m a bodyguard. The Vargas family pays me to protect Feliciano.”

“He’s very good at it too! Not once have I gotten kidnapped with Luddy!” Feliciano added, looking fondly at his bodyguard. 

“Good to hear Lutz is making some use of himself in America. Figured he’d never leave Berlin, but here he is,” Gilbert said. 

“I never thought you would leave either,” Ludwig stated, glancing at him through the rearview mirror. 

His cousin shrugged leaning back into the plush leather seats. “Got old, y’know. Gotta keep moving.”

Ludwig watched him for another moment and then drew his eyes back to the road. He drummed his fingers on the wheel, bothered by how little his cousin was telling him. Gilbert and he always told each other if anything was amiss, so why the hiding? 

He remained in his thoughts, dwelling over what sort of mistake his ‘brother’ might have made. His eyes flickered back towards the mirror to glance at his cousin, who was adamantly discussing something with Feli. He turned off and the trio managed to make it through the hell of New York traffic and to the building that the Vargas family owned. 

“Where are we?”

“This is Grandpa Roma’s building, ve!” the Italian said cheerfully, sliding out from the passenger seat. Gilbert grabbed his backpack and hooked it over his shoulder as he made his way from the car. Feliciano ran into the building like a child who was playing airplane. The two cousin’s hung back, Ludwig placing a hand to his elder cousin’s shoulder. 

“What’s going on, Gil?” Ludwig asked. 

Gilbert smiled and wrapped his arm around his cousin. “I’m just seeing my baby cousin after three years.”

Ludwig shook his head. “You know what I mean.”

“Do I?” He asked with a laugh, sliding into the building. 

“ _Ja_ , you do. I have to know so I can keep you safe, brother!”

Gilbert paused and sighed. “Fine. Is there somewhere a bit more...private, we can talk?”

Ludwig gave a hard nod and led Gilbert to an office type of room. 

The door had barely closed before Gilbert’s familiar look of confidence slipped away and an unusually exhausted version of his cousin appeared on the albino’s face. 

“Well?”

“So I may or may not have robbed up to $750,000 from Ivan Braginski,” he muttered, falling into one of the chairs behind him.

Ludwig paled. “What.”

“It’s a _long_ story, but...uh...I sort of took a shit ton of money from Braginski and now he wants me dead and its been four months and I didn’t know where to go. I nearly got killed in Berlin. Ludwig, it’s a miracle I’m fucking alive. I’ve been shot at, stabbed _twice_. He was going to torture me to death!” Gilbert grabbed the collar of his t-shirt and pulled it down to show the grotesque scar that was left from the events of Berlin. “Bro, if I don’t drop _waaaaay_ off the radar he’s going to murder me, revive me, and then extra murder me.”

“Of all the stupid things to do, you choose to do the _stupidest_ things? Gilbert why the hell did that even _seem_ like a good idea? _Mein Gott_ ,” Ludwig said, sinking into a chair at the conference table. 

“Please, bro, you _have_ to help me. I-If you don’t, I’m dead. I’m going to be tortured and killed. I saw what he wanted to do to me on some random bastard who happened to be there at the wrong place at the wrong time. Ludwig, _please_.”

Ludwig stared at his cousin for a moment. Thoughts flinging across his head in a whirlwind of anger and concern. Finally Ludwig gave him a nod. “Of course I’m going to help you,” he said. “But you can’t stay with me.”

Gilbert’s heart sank. His cousin was throwing him to the wolves. The one man he knew he could trust was deserting him-

“They’ll find you if you stay with me, brother. It’ll be easy to figure out I’m family, I mean I lived with you and Uncle for years,” he added, seeing the fear that crossed his cousin’s eyes. “I’ll find you somewhere safe. The Vargas family have plenty of safe houses and apartments throughout the city. Some even have roommates, normal people who just let the Vargas family have people live with them.”

Gilbert nodded. “Alright…”

Ludwig forced a smile and stood. “Let me just talk to Feli and see what we can do. I’m not going to let Braginski get his hands on you,” he said, placing a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “I promise.”


	2. Hell of a Roommate

Contrary to popular belief, Matthew Williams was _not_ a lonely man. Sure it was a little overwhelming to have this massive space all to himself and _maybe_ he had adopted a cat. So what? Just because he had a cat didn’t mean he was taking steps to becoming a lonely and crazy cat lady. It just meant he liked cats. 

But no matter how much Matthew stressed this to his foster brother, Alfred was convinced that Matthew had been struck with a severe case of crippling loneliness and that he was in need of a roommate. Particularly himself.

“Dude, you should let _me_ be your next roomie!” Alfred suggested, dropping Matt’s groceries onto the counter in a way that was not suitable for the fragile carton of eggs that Mattie had let him carry. 

“No way.”

“Aw, c’mon brosif, I mean imagine it! The Jones-Williams team take New York in this banging apartment,” Alfred exclaimed, hopping onto the counter next to the bags. 

“Nope,” Matthew repeated, shifting through his groceries to find his eggs and make sure they were alright. 

“How come? I’d be a hell of a room mate! For all you know I could get you laid and shit. You’re turning down one amazing offer, dude.” 

Matthew snorted, which got him a swat to the head from Al. 

“Don’t be a dick Mattie. I’m just saying I’m a fucking awesome roommate!”

“I’m sure you would be...for some other lonely guy in New York City who isn’t _supposed_ to have a roommate because he lets a crime family pay his rent so he can house and take care of some poor bastard who they have to protect,” Matthew explained, sighing at the sight of his mostly shattered eggs. “Plus you’re an egg murderer, I don’t room with egg murderers.”

“Wait, they _pay_ for your rent? Son of a bitch, I have to pay rent, why don’t they pay my rent?” 

Matthew shrugged, annoyed by the yolks that were dripping into his hands. “I guess I’m a better host than you?” he suggested, tossing his eggs into his trash can. “Or maybe I don’t tell them ‘no’? Or maybe...no it couldn’t be.”

Alfred raised his brows, his interest sparking. “What couldn’t it be?”

“I shouldn’t say.”

Alfred rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Don’t be an ass! What is it?”

“Maybe it’s because…”

“Because…?” Alfred leaned forward, clearly believing what Matthew was about to say would clear it all up. 

“Because you’re a dirty egg murderer. Go buy me new eggs, asshole,” Matthew said, laughing as Alfred scoffed. 

“Buy your own dang eggs.”

“I did and then the filthy egg murderer, Alfred Franklin Jones, shattered them. So now the egg murderer has to buy me more eggs,” Matthew explained, shoving the older man off the counter. “Now go on, get me my eggs.”

Alfred stumbled off the counter and then groaned. “Fiiiiine,” he grumbled. “But you’re going to have to buy the snacks for movie night!” he shouted, and made his escape out of the apartment before Matt could protest. 

God he loved his foster brother, even if he was somewhat annoying and kind of a dumbass. But that was part Alfred’s charm and besides, Mattie owed his brother a lot.

As a kid Alfred was a blessing when he moved in with Matt’s foster family. He was constantly bullied at school and the older kids weren’t much better at home. Either he was completely ignored or he’d be the prime target for kids who were way too big to _really_ be in eighth grade. But then Alfred came along, better known as the best thing that could happen to a small quiet nerdy kid like Matt. He made sure Mattie wouldn’t get messed with in school or at home. He was Matt’s best friend and for once the two actually felt like they had a family after entering the foster system. And by some miracle the two were able to stay together all the way through high school. And then Alfred went to college all the way across the country on a football scholarship and Matt took a gap year to figure out what to do with his life. For the first time in years his best friend, his brother was gone and it scared the shit out of him. 

So what does any kid who doesn’t know what to do with his life do? Head to NYC because why the hell not? In Matt’s opinion his life deserved to be lived and he wasn’t going to do it in hicksville where his current foster family lived. So he took a leap of faith and rode a cheap bus to New York to start a new life. 

But what a piece of shit that life was turning out to be. He could barely afford to live in the hotel he managed to get set up in, teetering on the brink of homelessness. He had been mugged at least three times. Every move he made while in this big city seemed to be a mistake. Everything was crumbling and he was about ready to give up and maybe go back home, his _real_ home before the foster system back in Canada, when he got his first job at an odd little cafe working for a Spaniard named Antonio Carriedo. 

And then suddenly and miraculously his life began to pick up. Antonio, after finding out he was battling being homeless, agreed to house Matthew in his own apartment until Matt could handle life on his own. Then Antonio introduced Matt to Kiku Honda and the Vargas Brothers, who had come to offer the young man a deal. He could live in an apartment all by himself, rent paid and everything. The only catch was he had to house some...less than ideal people. Matthew jumped at the opportunity. 

After that everything was going great. Matt was now in college taking general classes to just get some vague liberal arts degree so he could get an actual job and buy his own place. His brother was in New York with his friend Toris living it up working for some big business or something and even started helping the Vargas family like Mattie did. Matt had a cat now. Life was good. 

Matthew however found himself being shaken from his memories at the sound of his phone ringing. He tugged it out and frowned slightly at the name of the caller. It was Ludwig, the more cheerful Vargas Brother’s bodyguard. Why the hell would he be calling? 

“Uh, hello?” Mattie said cautiously, holding the phone tightly. 

“ _Guten tag_ ,” the gruff German’s voice answered. “Is this _Herr Williams_?”

“Ah, yup,” he said, trying to disguise the nervous quiver in his voice. Ludwig never called, like ever. He only knew the man because he was the one who would pick up the temporary roommate that Matthew would care for and when he occasionally saw Feliciano.

“Is everything alright?”

“I-I could ask you the same thing, Mr. Beilschmidt,” Matthew laughed, an awkward air filling the line.Quickly he panicked and tried to cover the awkwardness, “Uh, what can I do for you, Ludwig, sir?”

Ludwig cleared his throat and could hear him say something, probably to Feliciano or maybe Kiku. Oh, Jesus he was getting evicted wasn’t he? 

“Ludwig, Mr. Beilschmidt, sir,” he said with panic, gripping the phone so hard his knuckles were turning white. “P-please don’t kick me out. I just managed to get on my feet. This is the best opportunity I’ve had since I got here. I-”

“Ah, calm down, _Herr Williams_! I’m simply asking for a favor,” Ludwig said quickly. 

“A favor?”

“ _Ja_. I need you to keep an eye on my _dummkopf_ cousin.”

“You need me to babysit your cousin?” Matthew asked, confusion clear.

“Uh, _ja_. I need someone to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t leave the apartment. You’re very good with this type of work and I think the only one who can make sure Gilbert doesn’t do anything too stupid.”

“Oh! Yeah totally, I can totally do that,” Matthew said with a relieved, sort of desperate laugh. 

“Are you sure that is fine? I don’t want to put you on the spot.”

“As long as the Vargas’ are fine with it, then sure I can watch your cousin!”

“ _Danke_ , _Herr Williams_. Gilbert and I shall be over shortly. Is that suitable?”

“Sounds great! See you soon!”

And with that the line went dead. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been some time since Gilbert had had to live with anyone, especially by the sounds of it with some meek nerd. It had to have at least been since Roderich and even then the musical prodigy was more outgoing than whoever this dork he was about to live with was.

“How is _this_ guy supposed to _protect_ me?” Gilbert asked after Ludwig’s friend Kiku showed him a picture of his new roomie. Matthew Williams looked like a cute, but frail as fuck guy. Tall, probably had at least four inches on Gilbert, but that’s the only advantage he had over the German probably.

“ _Eins_ : he’s not supposed to protect you, _dummkopf_. _Herr Williams_ is going to help you remain off the grid,” Ludwig said, tossing Gilbert’s backpack to him. “ _Zwei_ : Herr Williams is very good at helping the criminals we put in his care. You will most likely be the easiest one he has had to deal with in a long time.”

Gilbert scoffed. “C’mon Lutzy, can’t I just stay with you? You work with the Vargas family, Braginski won’t dare to fuck with you. We can be the amazing Beilschmidt cousins again! You can protect me! I could pay for everything! Win-win!” 

“ _Nein_ , it is out of the question,” Ludwig stated, crossing his arms firmly. “Also I am confiscating the money.”

Gilbert’s eyes widened at this, panic setting in. “What?”

“That much money is too much power for you to have. Besides, you aren’t going to be going anywhere to spend it.”

“I stole that shit fair and square, Lutz,” Gilbert snapped. He began rifling through his backpack and indeed all that cash was gone. Instead it was filled with clothes and things he could use at his dumb new roommate’s apartment. 

“Don’t. I don’t have to help you, so don’t you get like that with me.”

Gilbert tossed the bag to the ground and leaned against his chair, clearly pissed off. “ _Schwein_ ,” he muttered.

Ludwig rolled his eyes with a sigh, a headache already forming at the front of his head. Jesus Gilbert could be such a pain in the ass. He turned his attention to Kiku who was quietly sitting at the conference table. Once realizing the German’s attention was on him, the small Japanese man stood. 

“The car is ready for you, Mr. Ludwig,” the small man said, placing the keys on the table. 

“ _Danke_. You can keep an eye on Feli for a little while?”

“ _Hai_.”

Ludwig nodded and motioned for Gilbert to come on. The man groaned and grabbed his bag. He felt like a kid who was getting grounded. Well he kind of was a kid getting grounded if he thought about it. Ludwig had taken his money and is locking him with this random kid to keep an eye on him. Holy shit he was totally getting grounded.

He followed his cousin out to his car, his hoodie pulled far over his head just in case Braginski somehow was watching. It always felt like the Russian was watching. With a quick glance over his shoulder, a tick he had developed over the past few months, Gilbert gave himself a comforting nod and slid into the passenger seat. Ludwig followed suit and put the car in drive. He gave his cousin a glance, watching as the man kept his eyes to the window. With a sigh, he hit the gas and joined the dozens of other cars on the New York street, off to take Gilbert to his new and off the radar life with Matthew Williams. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Translations*:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  **German** :
> 
> Guten tag - Good Day
> 
> Herr - Mister
> 
> Dummkopf - Stupid/Idiot
> 
> Danke - Thank you
> 
> Eins - One
> 
> Zwei - Two
> 
> Schwein - Pig/Bastard
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **Japanese:**
> 
>  
> 
> Hai - Yes
> 
>  
> 
> _*Because I speak no foreign languages I resorted to Google Translate for any words I may need in another language. Apologies for the shitty translations that may ensue*_


	3. And I Am No Prick

Chapter 3

As the two cousins stood in front of Matthew’s apartment, Ludwig took the moment to provide his high maintenance cousin with the ground rules of living with Matthew. Not that Gilbert cared to hear. From what it looked like the older German cousin was still clearly pissed at the fact Ludwig had taken his money, his well stolen money, from him like he was a kid. The albino’s arms were tightly crossed and he rolled his eyes as soon as Ludwig started to try and give him his new code of conduct. 

“Gilbert, listen to me,” Ludwig said. “I need you to be nice to Matthew, please.”

“Aw c’mon Lutzy, I’m a goddamn angel, you know that.”

“I mean it, brother. Matthew doesn’t have to do this. It’s not the Vargas family asking for him to do this, it’s me with just Feli’s permission. So that means what he’s doing is out of the goodness of his heart.”

“Well how much good is in his heart? He works for a preeeetty ruthless criminal organization,” Gilbert pointed out, a shit eating grin appearing on his lips at Ludwig’s clear frustration.

“An organization that has agreed to let you use their services to help you, just like you asked.”

“Oh, uh, well if I remember correctly I asked you to help me. Not the Vargas family, not this Matthew guy. You. I don’t trust anyone else, but all you did was take my money, the only thing I really got.”

“You know as well as I do that the fact the Vargas family is willing to extend this much help to you is extremely lucky. The likelihood of Braginski’s people finding you while you are in the Vargas’ care is slim to none. So stop acting like an inconsiderate schwien,” Ludwig snapped. “You can get your money back when I can be sure Braginski is off your case. But until then, you’re going to live with this man and be kind to him.”

Gilbert started to open his mouth to give some snarky comment back to Ludwig, when the other gave a sharp knock on the door. Gilbert just huffed and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. However, his sullen teenage angst silence was short lived, seeing that the moment he saw his new roommate, he could only stare at the guy. 

Jesus, Gilbert could just fall into those big entrancing violet eyes. Sure he was tall, much taller than himself, and had sort of a babyface, but it didn’t matter. This punk was cute as hell. He was like your dream boy-next-door, with a slight I’m-a-nerd sort of vibe. With that golden blonde hair that hung loose and long around his face, framing the man’s features beautifully. The glasses that were perched on his nose slightly askew made Gilbert’s heart rush. He fucking loved guys with glasses. 

Unfortunately, Ludwig picked up on Gilbert’s piqued interest. His cousin had seen him quietly swoon like this before. This sort of silence from Gilbert was dangerous. Quickly he led him inside. 

“Thank you again for doing this, Matthew,” Ludwig said, sitting Gilbert on the couch. 

“Yeah, totally!”

“Yeah, birdie, I _really_ appreciate it,” Gilbert repeated, a charming grin on his lips as he looked the boy up and down. 

“Oh, uh, ha, yeah, it’s really no issue at all,” Matthew said, his face growing red at the realization he was under Gilbert’s close scrutiny.

Ludwig forced a smile. “Uh, do you mind if I talk to Gilbert here for just a second? Then we can run down an arrangement and whatnot.”

“Yeah, uh, sure, sure,” Matthew said as he slid into the kitchen. 

As soon as the nerdy blonde was gone, Ludwig turned to Gilbert and a single word left his lips: “ _Nein_.”

“Ah! C’mon!” Gilbert said, crossing his arms. 

“You are not going to screw him understand?”

“I wasn’t planning on screwing him! I was going to make passionate and well meaning love to him! You don’t screw guys like him, only pricks do that. And I am no prick.”

Ludwig raised his brow at this. “I beg to differ.”

Gilbert rolled his eyes and leaned over the couch to get another glimpse of the angel boy who was now off limits. “Pleeease, let me romance him.”

“Nein, do you even realize how much danger that could place him in should Braginski find out that you have a partner?”

“Well, by that logic, he’s already in a hell of a lot of danger by letting me live here. So what’s the problem with a little dick touching?” Gilbert pointed out, grinning at the redness of his cousin’s face.

Ludwig sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. As much as he missed and loved his older cousin it was moments like these he could truly do without. “I’m not repeating myself, Gilbert. There’s plenty of obvious reasons why you should _and will_ stay away from him. Now leave it alone.”

Gilbert opened his mouth to make a comment on why he was not going to “leave it alone”, when his beautiful bright eyed roomie walked in with three bottles of beer. Sure, maybe it was shitty American beer, but holy shit this boy was a fucking Godsend. 

“Thought you two might want a pick me up?” Matthew said, placing the bottles on the table. “Plus y’know, get to know each other stuff?” 

Gilbert grinned wide, but Ludwig settled beside him and gave his a sharp pinch on the arm before turning to Matthew. Gilbert sighed and grabbed a bottle for himself. God, Lutzy could be such a buzzkill sometimes. And that got even more clear as he heard Ludwig start his list of rules, all of which could have been summed up with as: don’t let Gilbert leave this apartment ever.

After a while of hearing his cousin various rules and other boring shit, Gilbert began inspecting his new living space. Tidy, comfortable, cute. It was a contrast to most of the places he had lived throughout his life. It looked like no expense was wasted on furnishing the apartment, and Gilbert couldn’t help but wonder if his little mouse was just loaded or if the Vargas’ provided the furniture for Matthew’s safe house/apartment.

It was then as he was studying the photos hanging on the wall, that a ball of fluff decided Gilbert was the ideal spot for sleep and curled up into his lap. 

“Ah! I’m sorry,” Matthew said upon realizing his rather large cat had decided to use Gilbert as a place to sleep. “Kuma usually hides when I have people over. I hope you aren’t allergic?”

“ _Nein, mausi_. Don’t you worry,” he said, flashing another charming smile at the blonde. 

Matthew’s face flushed and Gilbert felt another pinch on his arm. “Quit flirting,” he heard Ludwig mutter. Gilbert snickered and adjusted the cat on his lap, listening to Ludwig finish up something that he definitely had no interest in listening to.

“Alright, I...well I suppose I’ve covered everything?”

“I think so? I mean basically just don’t let him out of my sight is what I’m getting from this.”

“I suppose that’s the simplest way to say it, ja,” Ludwig nodded and stood. 

Matthew followed suit and looked at Gilbert like he expected him to stand. “Sorry, guys, this little guy’s asleep,” he explained, running his fingers over the soft fur. 

“Alright. Well then I shall see you in a few days with clothes for you and some money to pay for him,” Ludwig said. Gilbert narrowed his eyes.

“Better not be mine.”

Ludwig ignored him, turning to smile at Matthew one last time. “Thank you again, Matthew. I trust you’ll keep him safe?”

Matthew smiled. “Yeah, I mean how hard can it be?”


	4. So A Straight Up Sex Party?

Matthew had barely closed the door behind Ludwig when he noticed Gilbert bounding up next to him, that stupidly endearing grin plastered on his face. 

“About time he got out of here, right birdie?” GIlbert said, sliding right beside Matthew and placing a beer into his hand. “Now we can do that getting to know each other shit.”

Matthew chuckled awkwardly until he felt his face turn red as Gilbert’s arm snaked around his shoulders. An amazing feat considering the four inches Matthew had on the man. 

“Ah, ha, yeah…” Matthew murmured, his breath caught in his throat and his body seemed to lack the proper response to this form of interaction.

“So, what exactly did you have in mind?” Gilbert asked, gently leading Matthew to the couch and sitting him down. “I personally was thinking of a sort of Seven Minutes in Heaven sort of thing. I mean c’mon we’d really know each other after that.” 

Matthew’s hand tightened around the beer, startled by Gilbert’s forwardness. “Ah...n-no, not exactly what I was thinking,” Matthew said, glancing towards his bedroom debating if he should just call it a night.

However Gilbert followed Matthew’s line of sight and grinned. “So, you’re thinking more of a straight up sex party? Wouldn’t _peg_ you for that kind of guy.”

“I’m not! And I was thinking of just talking, like strangers actually do?” Matthew said, his embarrassment and what appeared to be slight frustration was clear on his face.

It just was just obnoxious that this guy was so forward, and it wasn’t because Matthew was some prude. He was just practical and he had to shut down advances like that...not that they weren’t welcomed. In all honesty Matthew thought Gilbert _was_ rather cute and it would be a lie to say that the only reason he was giving Gilbert any sort of reaction was because he did find the man attractive…

But Matthew was practical and besides Ludwig would _not_ be happy to know Matthew was involved with his cousin and there was a reason that Gil was here and that reason was most likely involved with him being some sort of criminal. That would be _way_ too much trouble for him to deal with in a romantic relationship.

“Hey, calm down there, I’m just teasing. I ain’t the kinda guy that would screw his roommate when they first meet. That’s for later.” 

With a deep breath Matthew quickly pulled some lame excuse from his ass to give Gilbert the impression that he was not interested. “Ha, right, uh but you know I actually have a class tomorrow and you’re probably tired, so let’s just call it a night and we can just chat tomorrow sometime. Yeah? Yeah,” he finished, standing up.

Gilbert felt his stomach drop at the cheap excuse. God this guy was really shutting him down. Like no mercy, completely and utterly shut it down. Was he really that upset by his jokes? Sensitive nerd? Okay, Gilbert could handle this. He just had to change his approach, no straight up suggesting sex was going to work on romancing this big nerd. 

“Hey, listen, I’m sorry. I swear I’m just messing with you and I’ll totally stop if it's making you uncomfortable. Guess it’s my sense of humor, ha…” he said, staring up at the blonde. “But, uh, I honestly would like to get to know you! Unless you actually have a class in the morning, because be a good college guy and get your eight hours or whatever. We can totally talk tomorrow too, if that’s what you want.”

Matthew felt himself grin. “Well, thanks for the apology,” he said, taking a cautious seat next to Gil again. He looked the albino man over and noticed a trace of nervousness in the other man’s stare. If he were smart he would have called it a night and said talk tomorrow. But at the same time Matthew was practical. And wouldn’t the practical thing to do with a guy you’re attracted to is say, “So, tell me about yourself”?

\---

So, Gilbert didn’t get sex last night, but he _did_ successfully get wooed by the bright eyed blonde who had taken him in. It was amazing what just talking could do and just how sincere and legitimate the conversation had been was awesome. With a sigh Gilbert rolled from his new bed and grinned at the sight of clothes at the foot of his bed. 

He quickly shed his own well worn clothes and pulled on the soft and clean clothes that Matthew had kindly provided him with. They were a bit big, clearly meant for the larger man, but cozy. 

Pulling the belt to the tightest notch, Gilbert stumbled from his room and saw his new roommate making breakfast. 

“Mornin’, birdie,” he said, making his way to the kitchen table. 

Matthew allowed himself to smile at the other man. “Hey,” he said, brushing a piece of hair behind his ear. 

“So what are we doing today?” Gil asked, placing his chin into his hands.

Matthew smirked. “We?”

“I _know_ you aren’t leaving me here all day.”

“Actually, that was kind of my plan. I did promise Ludwig that you weren’t going anywhere.”

Gilbert scoffed. “Ah, c’mon, you honestly think this is a good idea? What if your place gets robbed? I think the best way to watch me is for me to come with you. It’s a totally awesome idea actually. That way you know I ain’t getting into trouble.”

“Well if you’re locked in my apartment I have a feeling you still won’t be getting into trouble,” Matthew pointed out.

“That is a _dangerous_ thing to doubt, birdie,” Gilbert said with a laugh. “I could probably fuck this place up no problem.”

Matthew raised a brow at this. “You won’t though...right?”

“Depends how bored I get I guess,” Gilbert said leaning back against the chair, giving Matthew a mischievous smile. “But what do _you_ have planned for today?”

“Uh, class than work,” Matthew said, handing Gil a plate of pancakes. 

“Maybe I’ll surprise you at work then. The coffee shop across the street is what you said last night, right?” 

“No, you’re going to stay here. I told Ludwig you weren’t going anywhere-” 

“He’s got a stick up his ass, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him!” Gilbert interrupted, shoving a piece of pancake into his mouth. 

“Gil, no. I’m not risking anything. Besides! I’m at work, what do you think you’ll even do?” Matthew asked, taking a seat beside the other man.

“Steal you away maybe? Be the totally awesome bad boy who gets the good nerd to play hookie like in an 80’s movie, right?” Gilbert grinned as he leaned towards Matthew. 

From what he learned from last night, Matthew wasn’t repulsed by the idea of Gilbert, and even as they started to grow used to each other and their conversation he even started making his own semi-inappropriate jokes. In their three hour chat Gilbert found himself attracted to more than just that cute boy look and realized the personality was as sweet as the blondes adorable nerdy looks. 

That wasn’t to say Matthew still didn’t turn red whenever Gilbert took the opportunity to lean close to him. 

“Yeah right,” he chuckled, feeling his face get warm as Gilbert pressed close to the other man. 

“You don’t think I will? Is that a challenge, Williams?” 

Matthew rolled his eyes and took a bite of his own breakfast

“Holy shit you are totally fucking challenging me to do this. Oh it is on!” Gilbert said, grinning wildly. “I am totally going to make you play fucking hookie and dammit you will enjoy yourself.”

“No you aren’t. You are going to stay in this apartment. Like I promised-”

“Nope it is set in stone Williams,” Gilbert said, shoving up from his seat at the table. “Totally going to happen.”

“Gil…” Matthew started as the man started to stroll towards his room. “I’m going to be really pissed if you show up! I mean it!”

“ _Entschuldige_ , birdie! Can’t hear you over the sound of me not listening!”

Matthew smirked. “That’s stupid!”

Gilbert looked over at Matthew over his shoulder and winked. “See you later!”

“No you won’t!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I just wanted to apologize for the impromptu hiatus I took over the past two months! Its been really busy from travelling to going to college! So I just haven't had the time to dedicate to writing. But that doesn't mean I want to stop, I have a lot in mind for this so I don't want to drop it. And I just want to apologize if they seem slightly off from the past 3 chapters, it has been two months since I've written for these big nerds and the flow wasn't quite there. Hopefully however I think I can get back into the swing of things and really keep this going! Thank you for your patience! - Meg
> 
>  
> 
> TRANSLATIONS:  
>  _Entschuldige_ \- Excuse me (sorry)


	5. This Is My Friend

It was stupid to doubt Gilbert it turned out. Not only did the man mosey into Matthew’s place of work, but the bastard had the audacity to bring him fucking flowers.

“Hey, hot stuff,” Gilbert said smoothly, leaning across the counter with the bouquet of flowers in his hand. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d go see my roommate at work.”

“Just like I asked you _not_ to do?” Matthew said with a nervous laugh, his eyes flickering to the front door. “You do realize if Ludwig-”

“Don’t worry! It’s not like I’m going to be out long, it’s just kind of shitty to be stuck in there for that long. You get that, don’t you, birdie?” Gilbert asked, sharp red eyes melting into a look of innocence. “I even brought you flowers!”

Matthew flushed as Gilbert extended the flowers towards him. “Well, uh, thanks,” he started, accepting the small array of daisies. He smiled, but then frowned. “Wait how did you get these?”

“Doesn’t matter, _mausi_ ,” Gilbert said quickly, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the flower vendor hadn’t followed him to the shop. Old habits were hard to break. Sue him. “But looks like you’ve been busy.”

Matthew raised his brow at Gilbert’s change in direction, but decided to ignore it. “Uh, not really. Been kind of slow today,” he explained. “Maybe I’ve had to make like two espressos, but you know that’s been over the last two hours.”

Gil grinned. “Well if it's as slow as you say, aren’t you losing money being open?” he pointed out. 

“Antonio doesn’t really care about that. I think he’s just happy to have company. I mean Starbucks takes a shit ton of customers and then the hipstery college kids he gets either come stupidly early or stupidly late,” Matthew said. “So really he doesn’t see a bunch of people.”

“Well, the only way for him to see people is if _he_ serves them. I think you should take me to dinner and we can go back to the apartment,” Gilbert advised. 

“Ha, no. I like having a job thank you.”

Gilbert rolled his eyes. “C’mon! It’s not like you’d lose your job for playing hookie once. Besides I told you I was going to take you away anyway, don’t make me a liar.”

Matthew started to open his mouth when he heard the back office open and saw his Spanish employer, Antonio make his way out. Matthew started to hand the flowers back to Gil, but Antonio saw them and lit up. 

“Ah! What’s this?” the Spaniard exclaimed, rushing up beside his primary employee. “Why didn’t you tell me you were dating, _amigo_?”

Matthew’s eyes widened. “I-I’m not! This is my friend Gilbert, he’s just rooming with me.”

Antonio raised his brow at this and looked over the pale man. “Is that what people are calling it these days?” he asked with a chuckle. 

Matthew’s face flushed and he heard both Gilbert and Antonio laughing. “Come on, _amigo_. I am only teasing,” Antonio said, clapping Matthew on the back for good measure. Matthew let out a nervous chuckle and adjusted his glasses. 

Antonio’s attention then turned to Gilbert, a warm and lazy smile on his lips. “So, how do you know the Vargas’?” Antonio asked, watching the man carefully. 

Gilbert glanced at Matthew, startled that his roommate’s boss, a coffeehouse owner, knew how he got the in with Matt. A part of him, the one that Elizabeta had trained to survive, felt a slight twinge of fear that Antonio belonged to the Ivan’s illegal business. He took a step back from the counter, prepared to book it if that fucking monster appeared around the corner. 

“I don’t think Gil personally knows the Vargas’, but he’s got a friend who works with them,” Matthew said slowly, watching as Gil grew defensive...almost panicked. “He doesn’t know ‘em like you do in any case.”

“Nobody knows them like I do,” Antonio said with a chuckle, leaning forward against the counter, studying Gilbert. “Do not worry, _amigo_. Your secrets are safe with me. I’m a close friend of one of the twins.”

“Antonio’s the reason I’m even doing any sort of work for them,” Matthew added. 

Gilbert gave Antonio a once over. Friendly smile, sincere, a lazy stance. If he was associated with Braginski in any way Gilbert would already be dead. With one final mental reassurance Gilbert allowed his stance to soften and his normal shit eating grin was plastered on his face. 

“Close friends of the twins, huh?” Gil asked. “See I’m pretty sure you’d know my in then.”

“Would I now?” Antonio asked. “Can’t be through Lovi, Lovi doesn’t make friends, especially not of the German’s as of late. So someone under Feliciano then?”  
Gilbert nodded. “You sure you ain’t some kind of detective?” he asked.

Antonio snorted. “Please, I’d be the world’s most ineffective detective. Though I do have the corruption down I think.”

Matthew watched as the two men chatted. Antonio quickly jumping to Gilbert’s association to Ludwig, which Matthew followed with a please don’t tell. Antonio agreed and continued chatting with the albino. Both men seemed to be made of charm as they had playful banter and shared jokes about Ludwig. 

“I like this one,” Antonio decided. “You should bring him around again. Definitely a nice break from the crazies.”

Matthew smiled. “I might,” he said, his eyes flickering to the collection of flowers. 

“Toni, before I head off, is it possible I steal him away from work? You know, I bought him flowers so I think the next step is a date, amiright?” Gilbert said, startling the man in question up from his flowers.

“Antonio, you don-”

Antonio smiled, ignoring Matthew’s advice. “A date would very much make sense, _amigo_. Dinner? I know a restaurant that would be perfect for this,” he said. “ _Es fantástico_.”

“Antonio, it’s totally fine if you want me-”

“No, shh. Go, have fun. Your ‘roommate’ seems pretty intent and I am not a man to fight a man over a dinner date,” Antonio said with a light chuckle. 

“ _Danke_!” Gilbert said, running around the counter to wrap his arm around Matthew’s shoulders, before he could protest any more. 

“Use condoms!” Antonio shouted, which got a flushed face from Matthew and a snort from Gilbert.


	6. Pretty Damn Close

Gilbert was really fucking proud of himself. He managed not only to steal Matthew away from work, but was now on a date with the adorable nerd. Not that Matthew would agree to call it that, but you know what it was pretty damn close to a date in Gilbert’s book. 

As they sat across from each other at dinner, Gilbert couldn’t help but grin at the other man. 

“What?” Matthew asked, a confused smile on his lips. “Do I have something on my face?”

“ _Nein_ , just thinking is all,” Gilbert said. “I don’t think I’ve actually said thank you for doing this.”

“Paying for dinner?” Matthew said with a chuckle. “Because that’s not a big deal.”

“Well first off you aren’t paying and second I mean for this totally awesome setup,” Gilbert explained, taking a bite from his spaghetti.

“Oh, ha, well I mean, it’s my job? But I’m glad you like it,” he said. He then raised his eyebrow. “Also if I’m not paying how are you going to? You don’t have money.”

“Dine and dash, baby,” Gilbert explained, his trademark grin back on his face. 

“Nope. You may have gotten me to play hookie and stolen these flowers, but I’m not gonna steal dinner,” Matthew said, shaking his head vigorously. 

“Ah, come on, birdie! It’s not stealing. It’s just not paying!”

Matthew rolled his eyes and took a bite from his fettuccine. “Not happening, _I’m_ not a criminal.”

Gilbert snickered and placed his hand against his chest, feigning insult. “And _I_ am?”

Matthew paled, clearly afraid he offended the other. “I-I mean, I don’t think you’re a criminal, per se-”

The albino man let out a hearty laugh at Matthew’s reaction. “Birdie, don’t you worry. We both know I come from a criminal background, why else would I be here?”

“Right, right,” Matthew said. “Sorry, just some of my past roommates have gotten touchy about being called criminals. They prefer entrepreneur or something like that?”

“I’m not pretentious enough to come up with some bullshit name about what I do. I’m a criminal, plain and simple. Now, I don’t _like_ being called one, but hey why beat around the bush? Am I right?” Gilbert explained. “I’ve known all sorts of assholes and the only ones pretentious enough to call themselves anything other than what they are, are the ones that get into trouble a lot faster. Think they can protect themselves better or whatever, but I’ve figured it out. It’s like if you can’t admit something you can’t fix it.”

Matthew stared at him for a moment. 

“What is it? Do I have something on my face?”

Matthew shook his head. “No, I’m just listening is all,” he said. He looked down for a second before asking, “So would you want to fix the bad stuff you’ve done?” 

Gilbert took a bite of his food and tilted his head back in thought. God, not only was this kid cute, but he asked the real questions. A valid question too. Gil really did have the opportunity to turn a new leaf here. America was the country of possibility, but did he want to? He sniffed and looked at the blonde in front of him. 

“Honestly?” he started, leaning forward a bit. “I wouldn’t change _everything_ I did. I got to see the world because of it, but at the same time I wouldn’t have had to run away if stuck by the book, y’know?”

Matthew nodded and Gilbert couldn’t help but shift a little as he noticed that the man had his full focus on him. 

“But, being completely honest, I think I’d like to fix some of the shit I’ve done. I mean in this kind of business you make mistakes and I’m sure you can tell I’ve made a lot of mistakes, am I right?”

Matthew snorted and Gilbert grinned. 

“But any bullshit motivational speaker will tell you that you learn from your mistakes, and fuck did I learn some shit. And I mean my mistakes got me to meet some really awesome people and whatever. But thinking about it, I think I’d want to fix it. Myself, I mean. I’m twenty six and I’ve travelled all over Europe, Asia, and a bit of Africa. I’ve joined a circus, been in prison, escaped, the jobs I’ve had could fill the classifieds. I’ve lived a whole life. And I think I could be ready to live another one.”

When he finished he felt his face grow hot. “Not to sound like a pussy or some bullshit,” he added quickly, his eyes flickering to his food and taking a huge bite. 

Matthew smiled and leaned forward. “Hey, I don’t think you sound like a pussy,” he said. “That’s probably the realest shit I’ve heard from any of the people I’ve housed.”

Gilbert looked up and smiled. “Well, at least I can say the nerd doesn’t think I’m a pussy.”

Matthew chuckled and the two began to play the do we dine and dash or play game. But as he spoke, Gilbert’s mind was elsewhere.

It was so amazing how easy it was to just confess stuff to this guy. It was nice. A lot of his old flings consisted of sex and a ride to the next town, even Roderich was no more than just a good fuck and a projection of a decent romance. But with this kid, this stranger really, he found himself contemplating leaving his long life of being a criminal. Fuck he just said he’d be ready to live a new life. Matthew had him considering shit he usually just shoved to the back of his mind. 

“Gil? Hey, you alive there, buddy?” Matthew asked, as he handed the bill off to the waiter. 

“Huh? Oh! Totally, I’m awesome,” Gilbert said, standing up. 

“You zoned out there for a sec, you sure you’re okay?”

“Just thinking is all,” he said, watching as Matthew gathered his things and stood himself. “So what now?”

Matthew raised his brow at this. “Home, I think. Been a pretty full night,” Matthew said. 

Gilbert smiled and snaked his arm around the blonde’s shoulder. “It’s not even ten, don’t tell me you’re already tuckered out, old man.”

Matthew rolled his eyes and skillfully maneuvered his way out of Gilbert’s hold. He’s become pretty good at it over the past day and a half. “Okay. If not what do you suggest?” Matthew asked, tucking his hands into his hoodie’s pockets. 

“Let’s go dance,” Gilbert suggested. “Europe had some pretty wild clubs, I bet New York has _something_ that might be able to get somewhere near that level.”

“I am not going to a club,” Matthew said with a laugh. “Something else.”

Gilbert sighed. “Fiiiiine, what about-”

“Home,” a voice said from behind them, freezing them in their place.

Gilbert was the first to work up the nerve to turn and see his cousin standing arms crossed and sort of kind of pissed, with his employer Feli by his side. 

“ _Hallo_ ,” Gilbert said, forcing a smile onto his face. “Fancy, uh, meeting you here...Come here often?”

Ludwig’s glare was relentless, but his small boss nodded. “ _Sì_! It’s our favorite restaurant!” Feliciano said, smiling at Gilbert. 

“Sounds like you guys have shit planned, so me and Mattie are just gonna leave you to it,” he said, hooking his arm to Matthew’s arm. “Just go back to our apartment, no worries. No harm, no foul.”

“Gilbert,” Ludwig started, but sucked in a deep breath as Gilbert hurriedly tugged Matthew away, acting as if he hadn’t heard his cousin. 

Clearly they were going to have to have a talk.


End file.
